The Red Umbrella (24 page)

I also want to thank my sister, who has always been my sounding board and best friend. I know I can always count on you.

Thank you to my husband, who believes everything I write is perfect … even when it’s not. You fill my life with love and happiness. I am forever grateful that you encouraged me to follow my dreams.

Thank you to my sons, who inspired me to pursue my passion for writing. You are my greatest joy and I am very lucky to be your mother. I hope this book reminds you of your family’s past as you follow your own destiny.

Thank you to my mother-in-law, who shared her own experiences as a Pedro Pan child and whom I’m lucky enough to have in my life.

For the world’s best brother-in-law, who “volunteered” to do my book trailer. You rock!

To all my aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews … thank you for adding so much to my life. Comparisons to the movie
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
do not do justice to the amazing, supportive, loud, and crazy family that we are.

There are also several people in the writing world whom I am fortunate enough to consider friends and who helped make this book a reality.

Beginning with my amazing editor, Nancy Siscoe, who saw the potential of this book within the first ten pages and encouraged me to finish it ASAP. Thank you for all your guidance and advice. You are the best!

Thank you to author and task-keeper Danielle Joseph, who pushed me to finish this book by checking on my progress with her nightly e-mails.

Special thanks to all my SCBWI friends and especially my critique group partners: Adrienne Sylver, Linda Bernfeld, Gaby Triana, Liz Trotta, Mary Thorp, Marta Magellan, Tere Starr, Ruth Vander Zee, Marjetta Geerling, Michelle Delisle, Kerry Cerra, Mindy Alyse Weiss, Mindy Dolandis, and my mentor, Joyce Sweeney. The advice and feedback I receive from all of you has shaped my writing, and I know that I am a better writer because of it.

To the star of my book trailer, Stephanie Freire, and the supporting cast members, Gaby Reyes, Madeleine Saade, Emily Ferradaz, Adriana Perez-Siam, Lauren Medina, Aliana Zamorano, Michael Schnabel, Derek Diaz, Frank
Sancho, Martha Alcazar, Priscilla Valls, and Alison Wood Griñan … thank you all for adding a new dimension to the book!

A big thank-you also goes to everyone who shared their knowledge of Cuba and Operation Pedro Pan with me, especially Jorge “Jay” Guarch, Jr., Lynn Guarch-Pardo, Frank Angones, and Dr. Brian Latell.

Finally, to everyone at the Knopf/Random House family who worked on all the different phases of this book … thank you so much for helping make
The Red Umbrella
possible.

Spanish words and phrases used in
The Red Umbrella

a mí no me gusta eso
(ah mee noh meh GOO-stah EH-soh): I don’t like that

abuela
(ah-BWEH-lah): grandmother

adiós
(ah-dee-OHS): good-bye

anís
(ah-NEES): star anise — used in herbal teas

apúrate
(ah-POO-rah-teh): hurry up

aquí
(ah-KEE): here

arroz con pollo
(ah-ROHS kohn POH-yoh): traditional Spanish dish of rice and chicken

baja
(BAH-hah): to fall

basta
(BAH-stah): enough

besos
(BEH-sohs): kisses

bien
(bee-EN): fine, well

bobo
(BOH-boh): stupid, used informally

bolsillo
(bohl-SEE-yoh): pocket

brigadista
(bree-gah-DEE-stah): member of the brigades

bueno
(BWEH-noh): good

buenos días
(BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs): good morning

café con leche
(kah-FAY kohn LEH-cheh): coffee with milk

cao
(kow): crow

cepillos de dientes
(seh-PEE-yohs deh dee-EN-tes): toothbrushes

charco de fango
(CHAHR-koh deh FAHN-goh): puddle of mud

chica
(CHEE-kah): girl

chisme
(CHEEZ-meh): gossip

cinco
(SEEN-koh): five

claves
(KLAH-vehs): a percussion instrument made up of a pair of short, cylindrical rods

cobardes
(koh-BAHR-des): cowards

comas
(KOH-mahs): eat

cómo
(KOH-moh): how

cómo estás
(KOH-moh es-TAHS): how are you?

cómo te extraño
(KOH-moh teh eks-TRAH-nyo): how I miss

compañeros
(kohm-pah-NYAY-rohs): companions

comprendes
(kohm-PREN-des): understand

comunista
(koh-moo-NEES-tah): Communist

crema de afeitar
(KREH-mah deh ah-fay-TAHR): shaving cream

croqueta
(kroh-KEH-tah): croquette — a small fried food roll

cuanto
(KWAHN-toh): how much, how many, how long

cuatro
(KWAH-troh): four

cuídate
(KWEE-dah-teh): take care

díme la verdad
(DEE-meh lah vehr-DAHD): tell me the truth

Dios mío
(dee-OHS MEE-oh): my God

ducha
(DOO-chah): shower

es
(es): it is

escucha
(es-KOO-chah): listen

escuelas privadas
(es-KWEH-lahs pree-VAH-dahs): private schools

está bien
(es-TAH bee-EN): okay

estoy
(es-TOY): I am

feliz año nuevo
(feh-LEES AH-nyoh noo-EH-voh): happy New Year

feliz cumpleaños
(feh-LEES koom-pleh-AH-nyohs): happy birthday

Feliz Navidad
(feh-LEES nah-vee-DAHD): Merry Christmas

flan
(flahn): creamy custard-like dessert

frío
(FREE-oh): cold

gabinete
(gah-bee-NEH-tay): medicine cabinet

gracias
(GRAH-see-ahs): thank you

gusanos
(goo-SAH-nohs): worms

habla
(AH-blah): speak, talk

hasta mañana
(AH-stah mah-NYAH-nah): until tomorrow (good night)

hermano
(ehr-MAH-noh): brother

hijos
/
hija
/
hijo
(EE-hohs/ EE-hah / EE-hoh): children / daughter / son

hola
(OH-lah): hello

hombre
(OHM-breh): man

hoy
(oy): today

imperialista
(eem-peh-ree-ah-LEES-tah): imperialist

increíble
(een-kreh-EE-bleh): incredible

invierno
(een-vee-EHR-noh): winter

Jóvenes Rebeldes
(HOH-veh-nes reh-BEL-des): Rebel Youth—the Communist youth movement in Cuba

las cosas cambian
(lahs KOH-sahs KAHM-bee-ahn): things change

lechón
(LAY-chohn): roasted pig

levántate
(leh-VAHN-tah-teh): get up

lindo
/
bien lindo
(bee-EN LEEN-doh): pretty/ very pretty

los odio a todos
(lohs OH-dee-oh a TOH-dohs): I hate them all

Los Pioneros
(lohs pee-oh-NEH-rohs): The Pioneers — Communist youth movement for small children

los queremos también
(lohs keh-REH-mohs tahm-bee-EN): we love you, too

maíz
(mah-EEZ): corn

más
(mahs): more

mejor precaver que tener que lamentar
(meh-HOR preh-kah-VEHR keh ten-EHR keh lah-men-TAHR): better safe than sorry

mentira
(men-TEE-rah): a lie

minutos
(mee-NOO-tohs): minutes

momento
(moh-MEN-toh): moment

mujer
(moo-HEHR): woman

nacionalización
(nah-see-oh-nah-lee-sah-see-OHN): nationalization

nada
(NAH-dah): nothing

nido de parasitos
(NEE-doh deh pah-rah-SEE-tohs): nest of parasites

nieve
(nee-EH-veh): snow

niños
(NEE-nyohs): children

no fue nada
(noh fweh NAH-dah): it was nothing

no importa
(noh eem-POR-tah): it doesn’t matter

no sé
(no seh): don’t know

Nochebuena
(noh-cheh-BWEH-nah): Christmas Eve

nos entendemos
(nohs en-ten-DEH-mohs): we understand each other

nosotros
(noh-SOH-trohs): us

noventa
(noh-VEN-tah): ninety

oye
(OH-yeh): listen

palomilla
(pah-loh-MEE-yah): a very thin steak

pan cubano
(pahn koo-BAH-noh): Cuban bread

para
(PAH-rah): for

paredón
(pah-reh-DOHN): wall used by the firing squad for executions

pecera
(peh-SEH-rah): fishbowl

perdóname
(pehr-DOHN-ah-meh): excuse me

perfecto
(pehr-FEK-toh): perfect

permiso
(pehr-MEE-soh): permission, permit

pero
(PEH-roh): but

picadillo
(pee-kah-DEE-yoh): ground beef hash

plato de segunda mesa
(PLAH-toh deh seh-GOON-dah MEH-sah): literally, second table’s plates—leftovers

por favor
(por fah-VOR): please

por qué
(por keh): why?

pórtate bien
(POR-tah-teh bee-EN): behave well

preciosa
(preh-see-OH-sah): precious

presta atención
(PRES-tah ah-ten-see-OHN): pay attention

puedes ir a jugar
(PWEH-des eer ah HOO-gahr): you can go play

qué
(keh): what?

qué bella estás
(keh BEH-yah es-TAS): how beautiful you are

qué maldito
(keh mahl-DEE-toh): what a devil

qué dijiste
(keh dee-HEE-steh): what did you say?

qué falta de respeto
(keh FAHL-tah deh res-PEH-toh): what disrespect

qué habrá pasado
(keh ah-BRAH pah-SAH-doh): wonder what happened

qué haces
(keh AH-ses): what are you doing?

qué hemos hecho
(keh EH-mohs EH-choh): what have we done?

qué pasa
(keh PAH-sah): what’s wrong?

qué pasó
(keh pah-SOH): what happened?

qué se cree él
(keh seh kreh el): what does he think?

qué te vas a poner
(keh teh vahs ah poh-NEHR): what are you going to wear?

quién es
(kee-EN es): who is it?

quinceañera
(keen-seh-NYEHR-ah) /
quinces
(KEEN sehs): fifteenth birthday party—similar to a sweet sixteen party

repítelo
(reh-PEE-teh-loh): repeat it

revolución
(reh-voh-loo-see-OHN): revolution

sí
(see): yes

siéntate
(see-EN-tah-teh): sit down

sigue
(SEE-geh): continue

sobrina
(soh-BREE-nah): niece

socialismo o muerte
(soh-see-ah-LEES-moh oh moo-EHR-teh): socialism or death

soy yo
(soy yo): it’s me

tarea
(tah-REH-ah): homework

te quiero
(teh kee-EHR-oh): I love you

te voy a extrañar
(teh voy ah eks-trah-NYAHR): I’m going to miss you

tilo
(TEE-loh): linden flowers — used in herbal teas

tío
(TEE-oh): uncle

todo bien
(TOH-doh bee-EN): everything’s okay

tranquila
(trahn-KEE-lah): relax

tres reyes magos
(tres REH-yes MAH-gohs): the three wise men from the Bible

tú eres
(too EH-res): you are

usted conoce
(oo-STED koh-NOH-seh): do you know?

vámonos
(VAH-moh-nohs): let’s go

ven acá
(ven ah-KAH): come here

vida
(VEE-dah): life